Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Body image and physical activity among Latina and African American women
Scherezade K Mama1, Beth E Quill, Maria E Fernandez-Esquer
1Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-6015, USA. smama@uh.edu
Objectives:
Obesity in African American (AA) and Hispanic or Latina (HL) women has been partly attributed to low physical activity (PA) and cultural influences on body image. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among body mass index (BMl=kg/m2), body image perception (perceived and desired) and PA.
Design:
The current study is a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of the Health Is Power (HIP) project (1R01CA109403).
Setting:
Women residing in Harris County, Houston and Travis County, Austin, Texas were recruited to participate in the study.
Participants:
Over four hundred (N=410) AA (N=262) and HL (N=148) women participated in the HIP project and were included in the current study.
Main Outcome Measures:
BMI, Pulvers' body image, PA and demographic data were collected from each participant.
Results:
Women (mean age=45.2 yrs) were educated (44% college graduates) and obese (mean BMI =34.6 kg/m2). Less than half perceived themselves correctly regardless of actual weight and ethnicity (P<.001). Nearly three-fourths of AA (73.9%) and less than half of HL (42.9%) women who were normal weight desired to be obese, and only 39.4% of AA and HL women desired to be normal weight. Women varied on measures of PA (P<.05). Regression analyses showed objectively measured PA was significantly associated with BMI and ethnicity (P<.01).
Conclusions:
Results reveal dichotomous distortion in body images. Women need strategies to perceive normal weight as desirable for health and beauty, leading to increased PA and reducing obesity.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Influencing Attraction II: Physical Attraction
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Surveys
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...

